I honestly feel that the Catholic Church in Malta is passing through serious, challenging times. It is facing attacks on all fronts, from inside and from outside. Some of its members are finding it hard to “swim against the tide”.

Many are taking sides on the issue of divorce, some holding that the conscience is supreme while others are saying that the position of certain theologians is correct. I esteem the work of theologians and I do see a value in one’s conscience, because the conscience contains the precepts of the natural law. However, conscience alone is not enough. It requires the Word of God to arrive at its best. Likewise, the theologian is not working independent of the tradition of the Church.

I firmly believe that above one’s conscience and above one’s per­sonal opinion there is the Word of God. The Word of God is very clear on divorce: “What God has united, man must not divide” (Mt 19, 6). Vatican Council II has taught us to read the Bible in the faith of the Church guided by the teaching authority of the successors of the apostles. The Catholic Church has always retained its stand on divorce.

Since when are one’s consience and opinions valued and held above the Word of God? If this were to be the case, the future could hold a lot of surprises for us. One’s conscience might suggest that abortion or euthanasia are necessary for some, therefore they are not wrong and one would find oneself voting for them too. This is why conscience alone is not enough, it needs the light of revelation.

Yes, it is a sin to vote in favour of divorce because outrightly it goes against the Word of God. As the ancient Greeks used to say, though there are many opinions, the truth is one.